St. Patrick's Day

St. Patrick's Day dawned bright and sunny!  We are having amazing, unseasonably warm weather right now.  We've already days of 80 degrees, yet it is just the middle of March.  The question is, will it stay this warm and only get warmer or will we get one more bought of winter?  We enjoyed a day at home; my husband worked but was home before 4:00 so we had lots of time to hang out before bedtime. 

We've kinda run into a road block this week and I wanted to overcome it because the boys had special shirts to wear!  The road block?  Something called "Shirts with short sleeves".  Geesh, you would have thought I was asking them to run naked - I just wanted them to wear short sleeves but they have both refused telling me things like "That shirt is too small" or "That is just not right mama" HA  Even on a day that was over 80 last week - they were both in long sleeves, jeans, and had socks on!!!  So, I slipped shorts on them both - no big deal.  Then came the shirts . .. well, we compromised.  They wore the shirts but had to have jackets on . . they were insane!  I did tell them that they could not go outside unless the took the jackets off or they would get too hot.  Finally, the draw to play outside won and they took off the coats.  I'm hoping tomorrow we won't have to compromise :-) 

Here are some fun photos from our day!

 Nate and Josh both wanted to color, glue, and cut today so we got down all of the fun stuff.  They are both really good and generally only color on the paper. 

 I got out our St. Patrick's Day stuff and they loved it.  The shirts I picked up last year but bought 1 size bigger so they could wear them two years in a row.  I'm glad I did.  Now, I'll keep them out for the summer for the boys to get all of the use out of them that they can.  The Shamrock blinking necklaces were fantastic and they "Ears" - well, they were hopping like bunnies all over HA!  One freaky moment - the Shamrocks were attached to the necklaces with a metal ring.  Nate managed to get his unwound . . .then I heard a blood curdling scream and found him standing with the metal piece coming out of his mouth.  At first glance, we thought it was in the roof of his mouth but, thankfully, he had managed to get it between his front two teeth right at the gum line so we were able to get it back out easily.  Yikes!  Not fun! He was running around mere seconds after we got it out though so he was fine.

 This year, we did not do Corned Beef (I did make it last year).  As I was thinking about what to make this year, the thought of Corned Beef literally make my stomach turn.  Instead I made Stuffed Cabbage rolls . .. .See, It had beef and cabbage . .. I told my husband I should have put corn in them and then I would have had "corned beef" HA!  The Cabbage Rolls are fantastic!  Then I took the rest of the cabbage and added it to potatoes and carrots in a roasting pan with Nature's Seasoning and chicken broth and cooked them at about 225 degrees for 4 hours - they were soooo good!  I also made the yummy rainbow salad (the only thing the boys ate HA!)  And, for dessert, we had "Shamrock Cups" (Vanilla Pudding with some green food coloring and they have a gold wrapped chocolate coin in the bottom!!)

 As soon as the boys were done eating they were back outside and were digging in the dirt.  I love the photos of the boys playing . . with dirty faces and hands!

So yes, we had a fabulous day! 

Weekly Menu - March 17th

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Now, last year, I made Corned Beef and Cabbage . .. I have to admit that the thought of eating Corned Beef makes my stomach turn HA!  So we are not going to be traditional this year while still trying to get the staples in during the day. 

Something happens about every 6 months . . .thanks to an over budget grocery bill weeks in a row, I realize that I'm planning meals that are intensive instead of simple.  I need to cut back again - this weeks menu has a lot of great meals but they are also big! Next week I have to go back to some simpler ideas :-)

Saturday: In honor of St. Patrick's Day we are having Stuffed Cabbage (ok, this is a little German but the cabbage is traditional!), Rainbow Jell-O Salad, and Carrots and Potatoes baked in the oven.  We'll also have Shamrock Pudding Cups with hidden gold chocolate coins.  It should be yummy!!

Sunday: The plan is to do a Pork Tenderloin on the grill thanks to the summer weather we are having along with Potato Salad and Creamy 5- fruit Salad and Macaroni Grill Rosemary Bread.

Monday: Honey Bourbon Crock-Pot Chicken, Baked Brown Rice, left over salads from the weekend and left over bread.

Tuesday: Chicken Scaloppini, Rice, whatever veggie is in my freezer, and Syrian Bread.

Wednesday: Enchiladas, Savory Rice (Wow, lots of rice this week!), Chips and Salsa

Thursday: Taco Soup, Creamy Beef Taquito's, and Homemade Salas

Friday: I have no idea!!!!  We'll either have something from above that we skip for what ever reason or my guess is the kids will eat something they love and Darryl and I will order in after they go to bed since this will be his last work day after a 10 day stretch!! 

For snacks this week I'm going to try my hand at Kale Chips - I bought Kale for the first time ever and I'm going to attempt to turn it into chips.  I also actually bought veggies this week and made up some skinny ranch dip for dipping.  This will be off set by an fantastic looking cake that is half chocolate cake and half cheesecake (I shared it in my Too Cute Post!) and then Cowboy Cookies that I never made last week!  With the weather heating up so early this year, I'm finding it difficult to want to do a lot of baking - we don't have central air so cooking really heats up the house!  We may live on store bought snacks before long ;-) 

Happy Cooking!

Food Friday - The Best Chili Ever

Ok, I'll be honest, I've never been a fan of Chili.  There are only a few times in my life I've had it and loved it - one was a pot I remember my dad making when I was a kid.  It was soooo good and ever since then I've tried to make THAT chili again and have never succeeded.  I've been trying for 10 . . .wait, closer to 20 years to find a recipe that I/we love.  Well, I will tell you . . . I have found it.  THIS Chili is really the best!

The Best Chili Ever
adapted from . .. ??  I did find this recipe months and months ago but have no idea where it came from originally. 

There isn't a whole lot I can say about this bowl of goodness other than it is was so good I ate it three days in a row!  Now, when we ate this the first night, I also made Spaghetti for the kids - but my husband put noodles in the bottom of his bowl, topped with chili, cheese, and chopped onions.  (Think Steak and Shake Chili Mac 5 way)  Also, the original recipe is HUGE - I cut it half and it FILLED my 6 quart crock pot.  Oh, and yes, I made it in the crock pot :-)  I'm going to provide the recipe as I made it, cut in half.

Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
1 green pepper or red pepper OR half of each, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 large can of diced tomatoes
1 large can of tomato sauce
1/2 jar of spaghetti sauce
1 large can of kidney beans
1 large can of baked beans (Like Busch's original)
1 packet of Chili Seasoning
1/2 can of cranberry sauce (I used jellied)

Brown the first 4 ingredients.  Drain and dumb into the crock pot (or return to the stove).  Add remaining ingredients and stir.  Cook on low for about 5-6 hours (or simmer on the stove for 1 hour).  Serve with sour cream, green onions, cheese and corn bread.

What I'm Reading!

I have a few books to share this week!

First up is this one, Called "This Time Forever" by Rachel Ann Nunes.  I believe, that at the time I am writing this article, it is $5.99 through Amazon.

Ok, now for my opinion/review.  This book was not good.  Sorry to say it but it is true.  The premise is about a women who's husband is verbally abusive and controlling.  She finally stands up for herself and he takes his life.  There is also a second story going on about another woman who leaves France and moves to Utah because the man she has been in love with for years treats her like his sister.  The two stories intertwine, of course, along with MANY other characters.  And by many, I mean WAY to many.  There were characters who didn't even make sense in the story.  Not to mention, I hate when authors try to be politically correct and do things like this . .. the character is on his cell phone while driving and the author has him say, "I recognized the irritated looks on the drivers face and I know that it increases my chance for an accident while on the phone.  Normally I pull off the road to make a call but I just need to get this done".  Really?  I mean for real - you put that in a book?  Right or wrong, does anyone pull of the road to make a call - isn't that just as dangerous???  Anyway, this book is being deleted off my Kindle - the underlying story could have been ok if it had been written much better - but it wasn't so it isn't very good!

The second book is "A Hearth in Candlewood" by Delia Parr and, at the writing of this post, is still a free book on Amazon.

First of all, I have other books by Delia Parr that I really enjoyed so I was pretty confident in picking this book to read that It would be well written. Second,  I was not disappointed (and I'm not done with it yet!).  This is book 1 in a trilogy and I do plan on picking up books 2 and 3 so I can complete the series.  The premise of this book is about a widow who runs a boarding house that she purchased after selling her general store that she and her husband had run.  She is learning, though, that her hasty decision to do this may cost her more then she ever thought.  I'm looking forward to seeing how it plays out in the end!

I also turned in some Swagbucks and picked up $10.00 in Amazon gift cards so I could purchase the next book in the Stephanie Plum series and yes, I already read it.  Now I'm waiting to receive another $10.00 that I "bought" through Swagbucks so I can get the next one! 

Pinterest Challenge - It's Back!!!

I'm slowly getting back into the groove of some Pinterest projects and this weeks happen to tie in with the rest of my St. Patrick's decor.

I originally found this idea at Pinterest and it comes from Two Twenty One and really liked the simplicity of it.

This is what my final project looked like along with a second project as well.

As much as I loved the pillar candle holders in the inspiration photo, I could not find any to simulate this same idea.  I found one tall candle holder at Hobby Lobby but only one.  Instead I picked out matching small holders, filled them with peas, shoved a clear votive holder into it and added a green candle and some ribbon.  It really makes a great statement on the table.
 
The other piece on my table is inspired from a  post at Blooming Homestead that I believe I featured in a Too Cute Not to Toot post previously.  Here is a better photo of my finished project.

Yep, still learning my camera so the photo is slightly blurry!  Anyway, I had this frame just waiting to be used - it's perfect because it is green and the ivy pattern almost looks like shamrocks.  I cut a piece of scrapbook paper to fit inside the glass.  The shamrocks, which I found at Hobby Lobby in their holiday section, are thick and puffy so I hot glued them on top of the glass.  I really love the way it looks on the table and is really my favorite project so far!

Too Cute Not To Toot

I will confess, because I only have boys, I tend to gravitate toward boy ideas when it comes to creative things.  This first idea proves that!  My boys love tools - they have a work bench and I hear them playing with that thing on and off throughout the week.  Plus, if my husband is working on some project, the boys go find their "scwdiver" and "heemmer" to help out HA!  When I saw this idea from Dukes and Duchesses, I had to share it.  Right now, my boys are too young for this but I am going to tuck this idea away as something to give them when they are the right age. 

I love the Irish Blessing so when I came across this Printable from Sweet C's Designs, I had to share.

There is no better way to make your kids feel good then to display their artwork.  I have an art wall I'm working on but I also love this idea from Positively Splendid for Framed Art Displays for the fridge - well I couldn't resist.  Now, the front of my fridge is not magnetic but the sides are and one side is very visible from the kitchen and dining room so I think it would be a great thing to have one frame for each of the boys and let them create one craft specifically for the frame - it could be part of my "Mantel" theme!

This next idea comes from Creative Preschool Resources and is something fun to do if you have fun neighbors.  (We don't . . .well, they are ok but I think they would think I was insane if we did this HA!)  One side note, this blog asks that you follow them if you choose to print their resources which is so the thing to do anytime you decide to print from a blog .. .. so if you print, follow too! :-) 

With Easter at the beginning of April, I haven't decided yet if I'm going to do Easter decor or lean more toward spring stuff but, this topiary from She's Kinda Crafty I think would work either way. 

I just wanted to share this idea too - it comes from She's Kinda Crafty.  It's a great wreath and she also has the kits for sale (at least at the time I'm writing this) in her Etsy shop.  It would be a great way to get the supplies but still be able to do it yourself.  She also has premade ones for sale too.  :-)  I think the price is pretty reasonable considering the amount of work she has to do!

Ok, when I saw this recipe, it was too good not to share.  Holy Cow.  Cheesecake.  Chocolate.  Chocolate Chips.  Just say thank you to Bird on a Cake and yes, I WILL  be making this very, very, very soon.

Our Yearly Tradition

We have lots of traditions throughout the year.  Some of them we've been doing for as long as we've been . . .engaged!  On Saturday, March 10th, we made our annual trip back to the East side of the state to visit where my husband and I first met and where we got engaged.  It's hard to believe that 11 years ago, on March 18th, we got engaged.  So many changes!!! 

Our trip started out a little . . . . rough . . . Nate got carsick for the first time. . . three differant times.  We went through this with Josh too (thankfully it only lasted for about 6 months).  This hit at about the same age as Josh's did so we are hoping Nate will grow out of it too.  The poor little guy :-(  I think it was a combination of the sun shining on him and flickering through the trees, it was warm in the back seat, and he was trying to watch a DVD on a screen that had the sun doing funny things on it.  It didn't slow him down once we got to our destinations though!  Thankfully, I had packed extra clothes . .. but now, I will need to pack several outfits again along with wet wash clothes until we know he is past this stage.

Our first stop is always for lunch at National Coney Island. 

(Sorry for some washed out and blurry photos - I'm learning to use a new camera and have a LOT to learn!)  I crave this restaurant throughout most of the year and always get the same thing.  A Large Hani and a Chili Cheese Fry.  Oh. My.  They are good.  I've tried to recreate the Hani at home and can't do it!! 

Once we finish eating, we always drive by the apartment I lived in at the time we met - I loved that apartment and, honestly miss it.  It was big, set up wonderfully, and just was so me! Granted, a family of 4 in a one bedroom apartment might be a little cramped :-)

From there, we head out to Metro Beach which is where Darryl proposed.  Now, the year he proposed, it was warm.  I can remember walking around and people where in shorts, riding bikes and skate boards . .. but most years, it is COLD!!!  This year, the wind was wicked and so frigid.  One of the coldest trips ever.  We had hoped that the boys could actually play on the play ground but wow, not happening!

 This photo freaks me out!!  There is Nate, looking all cute . . .and a freaky guy in a black stocking cap and dark glasses is peaking over the wall.  Don't worry - it's Darryl LOL  He was trying to make Nate laugh and I caught him like this - it makes me laugh!

 Every year, as long as we have gone to Metro Beach,  Darryl does a pull-up on the bar.  Eventually, we'll get the boys to do it too!

 This is our annual photo . .. we usually do it at the end of the boardwalk, which is where we got engaged, but the cold and wind was too much.  Instead we sat down behind this all and got it. Even with the wall - I had wind blown hair.

 Another annual photo op - we always take photos of our rings (we did just mine when we got engaged) Now I have my wedding bands and another ring Darryl got me after 5 years.  (He's still learning the camera which is why there is so much sky in the photo HA!)

 Josh had a blast - he was super happy . . . . .

Nate . . .well . . he was having a moment.  He had extremely cold hands and they were unthawing and hurt.  I felt so bad for him :-( 


We started a new tradition last year - we visit the Morley Candy Factory which is where Sander's Candy is made.  We all pick out a special treat.

The boys, over the course of the 30 minutes we were there, picked out about 300 different items but finally settled on chocolate covered rice krispy treats and a bag of mixed hard candy that they filled.  I was hoping for a Supreme Caramel Apple, like I had last year, but they didn't have any so I had a gourmet chocolate covered pretzel and some turtles.  The candy is so good.  I told Darryl that each year we come, the bill will get higher because the boys will get better at picking out treats :-)

The last part of our day is flexible.  As the boys get older, we are going to pick as a family what activity we want to do.  Last year we went to a fantastic Arcade/museum but, the age the boys are now makes that activity hard.  The arcade is packed and our boys like to move fast.  So instead, we took them to Build-a-Bear.  I've wanted to take them for awhile but there aren't any on this side of the state so it was a perfect time to do it.  In future years we'll go back to the Arcade, go bowling, to a movie, or to some of the museums in Detroit. 

   Nate had a ton of fun here.  He quickly picked out his bear and then picked out Josh's because it was a little over whelming for him.  Even when it was time to fill his bear, he wanted Nate to press the pedal but, once his bear was filled, he gave it a big hug and just loves it.  Both boys happily slept with their bears when we got home. 

Despite the fact that we've been making this trip for 10 years, dinner is always up in the air.  This year, since we were at the mall, the easiest thing was to eat at the food court.  Darryl and I weren't super hungry but the boys inhaled with quasidillas :-)   Maybe some day we'll find THE place to stop for dinner!!

It really was a fun day that ended with the boys loving the music in the truck.  Darryl was playing some of his favorite CD's when one of the songs finished and both boys started clapping and asking for more.  Every time a new song would start, I would see Josh shaking his head to the beat :-)  Super fun!